Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-10-06
HORRIBLE CONFESSION
YOUNG HAWKINS RELATES HOW HE NUR-
DRRBD HIS MOTHER
Because She Opposed His Marriags-Hs Shot Hsg
In the Temple and Then Shot Her again and
Again Later On TO Make Sure
She Was Dead.

NEW YORK, October 5.-The following
is the confession OF young Franklin Ash
bury Hawkins, of Islip, L. l., who shot
and killed his mother, Mrs. Cynthians
Hawkins, near that place Saturday night:
bad feelings had grown up between
myself and mother because of her inter
fering with me and Miss Hattie Peck, to
whom | was engaged TO be married and
whom intended marrying last Sunday.
Last Wednesday hired horse and drove
10 my mothers house fully intending to
either settle the difficulty or get her out
of the way. She was not alone and l
could not get her away, SO i drove back
home. was nearly crazy and could
neither eat nor sleep. l felt that
my mother stood in the way of my happi-
ness, and made up my mind to remove
the obstacle. Saturday night l hired o
horse and started for the house. II was
about 10 o'clock. l told mother that
wanted her to go with me, when We would
talk over the trouble between us. don't
know that had fully determined to kill
her il she did not consent to the marriage.
After talking little while We both be-
came excited and mother applied a vile
epithet to my intended, and in a rage
SHOT HER
in the right temple. She lay back in the
corder of tn wagon and groaned. / drove
back TO Bay Shore. Mother was alive
when we got there and shot her again in
the head | drove north on Brentwood
road and occasionally mother gasped and
knew she was not dead, so Just after cross
ing the railroad track | shot her q third
time, aud stopping the wagon dragged her
out and left her in the bushes where she
was found. drove back through the vii
lage and went to Babylon, where stopped
at Penny's saloon, bought a cigar and
started back, where / arrived shortly after
II o'clock. walked up and down my
room all night. | persuaded myself that
| had only done my duty, but it was hor-
rible. | was
To BE MARRIED SUNDAY
at IL o'clock at Eaton's Neck. At
O'Clock took the same wagon had the
night before and started. l couldn't keep
the thoughts of mother out of my mind in
driving through the woods. 1t was so
lonesome could hardly stay in the wagon.
/ lashed the horse and ran him for miles
| thought l could hear mothers voice
CHANGING down in the wagon saw pool
of blood had collected on the bottom of il,
and got ont and traced it where the blood
had run out aud over the axle | hardly
dared to get back into the wagon. He'd the
horse for long distance when got in and
drove TO Northport from there after washing
the wagon Iwent to the house where was
10 have been married. 1t was early.
Guests were there. couldn't keep still
finally made an excuse that had for
gotten something, and telling Hattie that
| would return surely at 4 o'clock, drove
to Babylon, where | took dinner. From
there drove to Bay Shore. couldn't
help going back | wanted to run away
but couldn't. When | got back was
arrested, and for a spell l felt relieved.
am sorry now that l did it. | must have
been crazy. deserve the severest pun
ishment. 1t will be living death if my
life is spared. What tell you is the
truth =